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Winemaker's Notes

*Please note - this wine has a slightly damaged capsule due to boxes being stacked on top of one another. The provenance, fill, and wine itself is impecable - but due to the slightly damaged capsules, Wine.com is offering at a discount.*

The 2007 is our eighth vintage from our Oakville estate and continues the Rudd tradition of producing wines with power, depth, and clarity. The wine releases a broad spectrum of aromas, combining dark blue fruits such as black currant and dark berry, with sweet charcoal, scorched earth and cedar. The palate shows structure and acidity followed by layers of velvety tannins with dark berries, chocolate, and deep roasted coffee. This wine is meant to be aged, but is still approachable enough to be enjoyed now.

Critical Acclaim

RP98

The Wine Advocate - "The flagship wine, the 2007 Proprietary Red from Oakville is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot. A prodigious effort, it boasts a dense purple color along with gorgeously complex aromatics reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of a first-growth Pauillac and a top Graves. Notes of burning embers, forest floor, creme de cassis, blackberries, espresso, and a hint of chocolate soar from the glass of this full-bodied, well-delineated, structured wine with tremendous depth and texture. This awesome red is a future legend in the making. Give it 4-5 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following 30-35 years.Rating: 98+
-Robert Parker"

ST95

International Wine Cellar - "Bright, saturated ruby. Aromas of crushed black fruits, menthol, licorice, violet, espresso and cocoa powder. At once primary and suave, with more inner-mouth perfume and aromatic lift than past vintages of this wine. The dark raspberry and violet flavors offer terrific intensity and aromatic lift. The tannin management here is far more sophisticated than just a few years ago here, when the tannins had a tendency toward hardness. But then this wine has only been racked twice so far. Sullivan noted that 2007 was the first year in which David Abreu controlled the vineyard work; Michel Rolland will finalize the blend, and the bottling will not occur until at least August. Outstanding potential here.Range: 92-95"

Rudd Winery

Rudd winery was established in 1996, when Leslie Rudd purchased the 54-acre estate in Oakville. Since the purchase, Mr. Rudd has made extensive renovations to the property, to include a complete replanting of the vineyards to close-spaced, red Bordeaux varietals and the expansion and renovation of the winery, including custom-designed tanks and a gentle, gravity-flow system. In addition, 22,000 square feet of caves have been dug below the winery to provide ideal aging conditions. In April 2002, Charles Thomas joined the Rudd team as Director of Vineyards and Winemaking. Charles brings to Rudd over 25 years of winemaking and vineyard experience. Along with the proprietary red wine from Oakville, Rudd will continue to produce small quantities of Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc and Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley.
View all Rudd Wines

About Napa Valley

It's hard not to think of Napa Valley when thinking of California wines. The region is, after all, the one that brought world recognition to California wine making. The area was settled by a few choice wine families in the 1960's who bet that the wines of the area would grow and flourish. They were right. The Napa wine industry really took off in the 1980's, when vineyard lands were scooped up and vines were planted throughout the county. A number of wineries emerged, from large conglomerates to small boutiques to cult classics. Cabernet Sauvignon is definitely the grape of choice here, with many winemakers also focusing on Bordeaux Blends. Whites are usually Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

Notable Facts

Within the Napa Valley lie smaller sub-AVAs that lend even more character specifics to the wines. Furthest south is Carneros, followed by Yountville, Oakville & Rutherford. Above those two is St.-Helena and finally, just grated an AVA, Calistoga. These areas are situated on the valley floor and are known for creating rich, smooth Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. There are a few mountain regions as well, nestled on the slopes overlooking the valley AVAs. Those include Howell Mountain, Stags Leap and Mount Veeder. Wines from the mountain regions are often more structured and firm, benefiting from more time in the bottle to evolve and soften.

About California

It's not rare to see a wine's country of origin listed as "California." A country into itself in the wine world, California makes enough varieties and styles to match many European wine countries. It produces a diverse range of wines that span the quality spectrum.

The most famous of the California wine regions is Napa Valley, and these wines are certainly outstanding – but it's not as broad and diverse as its larger neighbor, Sonoma County. Down south, Santa Barbara's Santa Maria Valley is well-known for its Rhône blends, as well as cool-climate varieties like Pinot and Chardonnay. The Central Coast, the largest California AVA, has many different microclimates that lead to a wide range of wines with many sub-AVAs.

Alcohol By Volume Guide

Most wine ranges from 10-16% alcohol by volume. Some varietals tend to have higher (for example Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon) or lower alcohol levels (Pinot Noir and many white varietals), but there is always some variation from producer to producer. Some wine falls outside of this range, for instance Port weighs in closer to 20%, while Muscat and Riesling are usually a bit below 10%.

Wine Style Guide

Light & Fruity

Red wines that are more fruit-forward and lighter in tannin and body.

Smooth & Supple

Medium bodied reds that go down easy, with smooth tannins and supple fruit.